Delicious grub is a must on wedding day, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. An awesome Texas backyard wedding is all about ease, fun, effortless enjoyment and being out in the sunshine and shade with the ones you love, celebrating love.
What better way to compliment that than some delicious backyard wedding appetizers? Here are the 10 best appetizers for a backyard wedding celebration. Simple, approachable and easy to either make yourself or hire catering to do so.
10 Best Wedding Appetizers to Offer at your Texas Backyard Wedding
1. Spicy Chicken Taquitos
Yep. We're talking Tex-Mex right out the gate. No matter if you make Olde House the venue for your summer wedding or another Texas backyard wedding venue, Taquitos are the perfect Texas backyard wedding snack to offer your guests before or during the reception, because... who doesn't like Taquitos.
They are portable, can be filled with any number of meats, cheeses or veggies and are nearly always a crowd pleaser. Try this recipe for spicy chicken filled taquitos with herbed crema. You can also go the vegetarian route and make black bean and corn taquitos with homemade salsa. Make them ahead of time then just reheat and serve passed on trays or at a buffet table.
2. Texas Sliders
Yet another Lone Star winner. It wouldn’t truly be a Texas backyard wedding without some beef and pulled pork. Sliders are another fully portable and easy to assemble offering. Plus, they keep organized with toothpicks keeping them together. They can be as simple as pickles and ketchup or as complex as stuffing tiny patties with cheese, grilling till melted in the middle, and serving with honey mustard sauce and fried onion rings on a slider bun.
Sliders keep well as a passed appetizer and they just feel like something you’d eat at a cookout, so for a small backyard wedding in Texas, they are perfect. Try out this recipe for homemade pickles and really give people a taste of home.
~Bread and Butter Pickles~
2lbs pickling cucumbers or english cucumbers
2 large yellow onions
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp celery seeds
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Method:
Slice the cucumbers thinly and put into a large jar with a tight fitting lid.
In a saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Take off the heat and pour over the cucumbers.
Seal and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.
3. Bacon-Wrapped Anythings
Speaking of pork, another scrumptious appetizer for the meat lovers at your wedding is anything bacon-wrapped. This is Texas. You can wrap anything with bacon and make it simple and delicious.
Try wrapping dates stuffed with goat cheese like this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, or fresh peaches, jalapeno halves, or even just the classic bacon wrapped shrimp. Salty snacks are a must at any backyard wedding so your guests will feel satiated for the festivities to come.
4. Steak Skewers
Texas Airbnb wedding venues often have good sized kitchen or grilling areas to accommodate catering or prepping meals for your small wedding. Utilize those spaces by making classic Texas steak, cut small and skewered with peppers and onions. Try out this recipe for pepper steak skewers:
~Pepper Steak Skewers~
Makes about 20 small appetizer skewers:
3 lbs top sirloin or top round steak
4 bell peppers
3 yellow onions
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Method:
Cut steak into 1 inch cubes, peppers into squares and onions into chunks.
Season the steak and veggies with salt, pepper and brown sugar and toss to coat everything evenly.
Skewer a piece of steak with some peppers and onions.
Grill over high heat about 3 minutes per side till charred and cooked medium rare.
Serve with herb sauce or A1 steak sauce.
You can use any vegetables combo you like, or keep it really simple and just do steak. Serve these delicious bites with some A1 or chimichurri sauce and get fancy!
Learn more: Looking to serve a full meal? Check out our tips for catering a small backyard wedding in Texas!
5. Mini Burritos
These are an absolute crowd pleaser, and you can offer two varieties easily making one vegetarian and one with meat. The mini burrito is about the size of a large taquito and can easily be taken down in three or four bites. Try making these beef, cheese and bean mini burritos, for a crowd. You can even make large batches of mini burritos in an air fryer for an easy crisped up version filled with anything you like! They are wrapped individually for maximum portability and you can spice it up with a salsa bar on the side.
6. Charcuterie on a Stick
We're talking about a wedding classic. A little meat and cheese with some crunchy toasted bread. You can make these perfect one bite charcuterie snacks to serve at your wedding with very little effort and they’re actually fun and attractive to pass around!
Simply choose which meats and cheeses you love best and pair them up into delicious combinations. Then cut bread into cubes and toast in the oven with garlic and olive oil. These little croutons act as your crusty toast for the meat and cheese. You could even add in grapes or berries and fancy them up.
7. Frozen Watermelon Kebabs
If your wedding is in the summer, and you’re thinking of utilizing one of the great Texas Airbnb wedding venues, you know it’s gonna be hot and sunny. But that doesn’t mean you can’t offer people a cooling and refreshing treat to snack on. Watermelon is at its peak in summer, so it’s the perfect snack and when you freeze chunks on little skewers or popsicle sticks you’ve got a portable and delicious frozen treat to tide guests over. You can season them with chili salt like Tajin, or just sprinkle a little flakey sea salt and black pepper for the perfect sweet and savory bite.
Learn More: Check out our Ultimate guide to keep your Outdoor Texas Wedding guests cool during your ceremony
8. Stuffed Mushrooms
I know! Stuffed mushrooms sounds like a difficult and labor intensive preparation. But, we have a hack for serving these delicious, and impressive, savory treats to your guests.
Find your local grocery store that makes these in the prepared food section of the store, then dress them up with all kinds of extra toppings to customize them and make them feel more homemade. Parmesan cheese grated all over and melted till crispy, lemony mint yogurt sauce dolloped on the tops, pickled peppers sprinkled over with lemon zest and sour cream. The sky is the limit here but make your life easier and have someone else do the initial stuffing.
9. Gazpacho Shooters
Bust the heat at with little shots of ice cold gazpacho, a refreshing tomato and vegetable soup. Gazpacho is made from all the best summer produce; tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and citrus. You can add in onion or garlic to give it that backyard Texas wedding vibe but keep it really fresh and delicious with a recipe like this one. Dress up the shooters with a chilled prawn on the side or a little toast to dip into the cold soup.
10. Stuffed Mini Peppers
These are like if jalapeno poppers got dressed up to go to a wedding. Peppers are absolutely bursting off the plants during the summer months, and backyard weddings wouldn’t be complete without fresh summer time offerings for eating.
Stuffed peppers can come in all shapes and sizes, but smaller choices like jalapeno or baby bell peppers make for a good appetizer side. Stuff them with cream cheese and garlicky breadcrumbs, crab and corn with herbed cream or go sweet and savory with spicy ricotta stuffed peppers and a hot honey glaze.
~Sweet & Savory stuffed Mini Peppers (x20)~
20-25 mini peppers such as dolce sweet mini peppers
16 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz sour cream
4 serrano peppers, finely diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 bottle hot honey, such as Red Clay
Method:
Slice each pepper in half lengthwise and take out any seeds or ribs.
Combine the ricotta, sour cream, green onion and serranos in a bowl and stir to combine.
Spoon some of the cheese mixture into each pepper (about 1 tbsp).
Broil on high for 5-6 minutes till lightly browned.
Set out on a platter and drizzle evenly with hot honey.
10 Best Wedding Appetizer Ideas Takeaway
However you do it, a backyard wedding isn't complete without delicious snacks for the guests. Try a plate from this list or take some inspiration and make your own for a buffet or platters of your very own Summer treats.
For a small backyard wedding in Texas check out the Olde House venue. Texas has so many wonderful venues to offer for the summer months, and numerous catering companies that would be excited to make any of your appetizer ideas come to life.
Interested in trying out some of these plates for your backyard wedding at Olde House? We’d love to be a part of your big day. Book now
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